September saw two standout financing rounds, with Tabby closing a $233 million Series F and Barq securing $329.5 million in a Series A, highlighting the sector’s accelerating growth.

Fintech investors poured more than $560 million into two Middle Eastern “buy‑now‑pay‑later” platforms in September, marking the month’s biggest deals and underscoring the rapid expansion of the region’s digital credit market.

Tabby’s $233 million Series F

Tabby, the UAE‑based BNPL provider, closed a $233 million Series F round led by a consortium of global venture firms and sovereign wealth funds. The financing will be used to broaden Tabby’s merchant network, enhance its risk‑assessment technology, and accelerate entry into new markets across the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Existing investors, including Sequoia Capital and STV, participated alongside new backers such as SoftBank Vision Fund 2, reflecting confidence in Tabby’s ability to capture a larger share of the region’s $12 billion consumer credit market.

Barq’s $329.5 million Series A

Saudi‑based Barq announced a $329.5 million Series A, the largest early‑stage round for a fintech startup in the Kingdom. The round was anchored by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and included participation from Tiger Global and Andreessen Horowitz.

Barq plans to deploy the capital to scale its AI‑driven credit scoring engine, expand its product suite beyond BNPL to include personal loans, and launch operations in neighboring markets such as Kuwait and Oman.

  • Strengthen risk‑management and AI analytics
  • Expand merchant partnerships across GCC
  • Introduce new credit products for SMEs
  • Hire talent in engineering and compliance
“These investments signal a decisive vote of confidence in the region’s fintech ecosystem and its capacity to innovate at scale,” said a spokesperson for the PIF.

The September funding surge highlights a broader trend of deep‑pocketed investors targeting high‑growth fintechs that can address under‑banked consumers and digitize credit across the Middle East.

Fintech Futures coverage of September 2026 top fintech funding rounds